Designer, Brand

About the role

Highwire’s creative team sits within the agency’s digital practice. We lead the creative strategy, design and execution of powerful, valuable, and impactful ideas that drive business impact for our clients. We weave insights into ideas, make ideas real, and combine creativity with strategic storytelling so our clients stand out from competitors.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop cohesive creative storytelling across different mediums, always keeping creative strategy at the core.
• Produce motion work, including short-form social animation, brand video support, and template-based motion assets, that strengthens brand identity and enhances brand storytelling.
• Balance brand integrity with experimentation, demonstrated through a portfolio that shows both adherence to brand systems and original creative exploration within those systems.
• Understand and differentiate between social-first creative and brand-first creative, tailoring content accordingly.
• Ensure consistency in static and motion projects to maintain a unified brand experience.
• Work within established brand systems and design guidelines, flagging when client brand standards need updating or expansion as new platforms or content types emerge.
• Proactively solve process challenges to streamline workflows across integrated teams.
• Take a 360-degree approach, considering all potential customer touchpoints and brand interactions.
• Ask clarifying questions about client goals during briefing and translate those goals into specific creative decisions, rather than working from the brief alone.
• Brainstorm and develop creative concepts independently and in collaboration with account teams and the creative team.
• Identify opportunities to enhance creativity within existing client workflows, researching and presenting new ideas.
• Present design work internally and externally, effectively communicating both creative vision and strategic rationale to designers and non-designers alike.
• Provide peer-level creative feedback to interns and junior designers, and, when needed, help non-creative collaborators understand the reasoning behind design decisions.

About You

• Develop cohesive creative storytelling across different mediums, always keeping creative strategy at the core.
• Produce motion work, including short-form social animation, brand video support, and template-based motion assets, that strengthens brand identity and enhances brand storytelling.
• Balance brand integrity with experimentation, demonstrated through a portfolio that shows both adherence to brand systems and original creative exploration within those systems.
• Understand and differentiate between social-first creative and brand-first creative, tailoring content accordingly.
• Ensure consistency in static and motion projects to maintain a unified brand experience.
• Work within established brand systems and design guidelines, flagging when client brand standards need updating or expansion as new platforms or content types emerge.
• Proactively solve process challenges to streamline workflows across integrated teams.
• Take a 360-degree approach, considering all potential customer touchpoints and brand interactions.
• Ask clarifying questions about client goals during briefing and translate those goals into specific creative decisions, rather than working from the brief alone.
• Brainstorm and develop creative concepts independently and in collaboration with account teams and the creative team.
• Identify opportunities to enhance creativity within existing client workflows, researching and presenting new ideas.
• Present design work internally and externally, effectively communicating both creative vision and strategic rationale to designers and non-designers alike.
• Provide peer-level creative feedback to interns and junior designers, and, when needed, help non-creative collaborators understand the reasoning behind design decisions.

Success Factors

• 3-5 years of professional design experience (agency or in-house tech company experience preferred).
• A compelling portfolio showcasing a range of professional work in visual design and motion design, demonstrating a solid understanding of design principles and web design best practices.
• Expert knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, XD).
• Intermediate proficiency in Figma and Adobe After Effects.
• Ability to leverage drag-and-drop platforms to hand off self-serve toolkits to our clients through Canva and/or Adobe Express.
• Strong understanding of motion graphic principles and their role in brand identity development.
• Experience working within established brand systems and guidelines, with the ability to apply and extend them consistently across new content types.
• Experience with storyboarding, pacing, color theory, and visual hierarchy to craft compelling narratives.
• Excellent communication skills to provide project guidance, collaborate with teams, and present work effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to manage 3 or more concurrent projects independently while meeting deadlines, with examples of how you've prioritized competing deliverables.
• Familiarity with project management tools to streamline workflows.
• Attention to detail and a collaborative mindset to ensure the best creative outcomes for clients.
• Ability to manage time independently. Must be able to prioritize multiple projects, meet deadlines, and proactively flag conflicts with account and creative teams.
• A finger on the pulse of the latest design, social, and digital trends.
• A keen understanding of UX design principles, including familiarity with accessibility standards and best practices.
• Genuine curiosity about how AI tools are reshaping creative workflows, with a willingness to experiment and learn as new tools and processes emerge.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted design tools is a plus.
• Ability to work within a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $72,000 to $90,000, with the final offer based on a combination of factors, including education, relevant experience, skills, prior training, internal equity, and local geographic market data. This role also includes a competitive benefits package with medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) matching, generous paid time off, and additional perks designed to support your overall well-being and growth.